A NARRATIVE REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ABOUT SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS

Abstract

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic inflammatory disease that has an autoimmune origin. There is no known cure for this clinical condition. The treatment offered is restricted to supporting the period of remission of the disease in affected individuals. The etiology of SLE is complex, multifactorial and requires the interaction between genetic, hormonal and environmental factors. The environmental factor consists of sun exposure, something extremely important in the etiology of the disease, as it can lead to apoptosis of skin keratinocytes, triggering an immunological response. Environmental factors are also considered: smoking, medication and infections. Therefore, this narrative literature review brought together articles from the PUBMED database with the aim of defining an epidemiological profile of SLE and presenting its main clinical manifestations, highlighting the importance of multidisciplinary and therapeutic interdisciplinarity. The main manifestations can be subdivided into: dermatological, joint, cardiopulmonary, neuropsychiatric, renal and hematological. The most serious are cases where kidney and neurological damage is present, leading the patient to more critical conditions. It is the medical team's duty to recognize the manifestations of the disease and then indicate a specific treatment. It is worth mentioning that offering multidisciplinary monitoring to the patient can bring a better prognosis for SLE.